Ear trimming device



' July 28, 1931; E. w. MORTER EAR TRIMMING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 57W MOH TER.

LAN nrromvex it, is customary merely to slice down. the 2o i series of ear'trimmin'g-devicesfembodying'the 7 Pa ta; J l 28,1931

I EARQTRIMMING VICE g the husked ears arethen' delivered to a cuti ting machine "which -removes the grains 7 of corn fromthe'co'bs; Before passing to the Vc'utting maohine'theears are examined by "10 an" inspector, who removes any which containlobj'ectional"matter such as an unfilled tipor a portion' ofthe ibuttwhich was not removed, or worm runs. worm usually works'on' an ear ofcorn between tworows of 15 grains andfbyremoving those portions of the two rows on which the worm has worked 7 all objectionable matter" may be removed, but whenwormruns are removedby hand side'of theear; thusremoving a Considera e quantity of good 'corngfthisbeing'f done be-r cause of the amount of timerequired toytrim out thetwo affected. grainjrows by hand. :O ne object'of the present inventionisjto providea trimmingl device which will; en: ate to quickly r m ve an objectionable matter from an earoffcorna j' I A further object of the" invention isfto 'rd id "a i eft f m i 'gde f s h diameter that" the cuttings and uices j from theear willbeconfined and not permitted to splashoverthe foperatorforjthe supporting further object o fthe invention' isjto provide a device for removing the worm runslwhioh'e'will "remove only those portions; For; two rows which are affected by the worm: v a

' 1 Aiurther fo bject of the invention is to so I mountsuch a worm runremoving'device that, jthe" cuttings therefrom willbe delivered into lthe m'ain housing and discharged therefrom along the c uttin'gs fr'omthe main cutter- Other objects of the invention 'ill appear as the devie isdeseribetl 'in,detai1i I 5fl .ace pany ng drawi g F g- 111w p n vie 1101 an i tal a ion em y g a inven a Fi 2, i g-a iront eleva i nf a ear trimm ng uevice embodying the 'inven;

{OFFICE H 1 E531. rio TnR; or wA'sHINe'roN COURTHOUSE, 01110 of Fig. .2, partly broken away; Fig. 4 is a 1 i seotion'taken through the worm run remover on the line H of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a transto'be mounted on asupporting structure orl'f' and it is here "show a'shaving, a substan-f an d Wall 5. The base 2'doesnot extend within s tomof the h ing"6,whic Q PPOrting structure.

/ opposite'side thereof and may be supported shaft 9 Within the housing is a. cutter which,

"having two radial blades 13- arrangedf'to into engagement with the cutter. Prefer-1;

i supportfl fito facilitate supporting 1 s15ss4 1928'. seria No. 289,286.

tion; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device 11 verse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and Fig. his a section taken on the line 6-6ofFig.l. In these drawings I have'illustrate'd one embodiment of my invention'but it will be understood that this particular embodiment. 60 i has been chosen for the purpose of illustras, tiono'nly and that the mechanism may take various forms and may be arrangedin vario'us ways without department from thespirit of the invention. 5 i

In that form here shown, the trimmer com prises a housing l carried by a base Q'adap'ted table '3. The housing may take various'forins;

tially'semi-circular upper portion and as a eon prislng an edge or peripheral wall eand the peripheral wall so that the bot ousingis provided with an 0 en p h registers witha p g 7 v[in I,

. r eans 7 8 in which is ournaled a shaft 9Q This shaft extends through the housing and beyond the The endjwall 5 is provided wit 1n a'second bearing 10; or. in any other 'su'itable manner,' and maybe connected withanysuitable source of power for driving the; same. In the present instance it is provided with a belt wheel 11. Rigidlyse'curedtothe in the present instance, consists of a disk 12 f I I I travel in a plane close tobut slightly spaced fromthe inner surface. ofthe end wall-5 of 1 j the housing." This end wall has an ear re Ceiving opening lethrough "which an ear I maybe inserted and the end; thereof brought g y the'open' Y in r" an guild;v

ably theendiwallis provided about ing 14] with an outwardly eXten i g of theflear, the ,end of, which is being I trimmed. fThe cuttings which are removed "6" Wardly through the openings 6 and 7 suitable receptacle, conveyor or the like. Rigidly'secured to that side of the housing shownat l7,'to receive-the shaft: 91 Lugs 18 I from the ear by the cutter will drop down-i l to a opposite theend wall is a closure plate l6.

' which extends somewhat above the horizontal center of the. housing and is recessed as extend. from the closure plate about the "edge of the peripheral wall l of the housing and" are rigidly secured theretovby seretvs1'19; IheL-i lower edge of'the closure plate extends below the base 2 and into the opening 7 initheisurp- 3 porting structure, as shown at 19, thus efv fectually closing the lower' portion rat-the housing andpreyentingthe eseape of out tingsor. juices-,fromthejear. fThe u'pper portionQo f the housing, fe oxnprisingi ortions 7 both "of the je'nd' wall -5 and-;tlrei'peripheral Wall gii's formed separate from the lower portion oiithe housin'g 'and hingedfithereto as shown'a't 20, thus constituting a movable I 7 for rembving'those grainurows which have 7 been affected jby'a worm run; As here shown,

closure by means of which access may-be readily- "had. to the interior {of the housin A Rigidly; mounted-)on the housing is a device V this devicecompris es a,trough-likefguide 21 carried'by a bracket "22 rigidly secured to the housing. Thebottom" of this guide is cut I away near the-reariend thereot as shown at: 22a, t0,; provide an opening through which extends a, cuttenor bladeo23 to-engage and remove the grainrows: 5 Thisfbladeispiiet erably curved or so shaped tliatthe centralportion will extend abovethelbottorn o-fthe guide andwill engage and remove only .the

afl'eotedrOWs of grain, {In the present instance the blade is substantiallyjsemi circu lar -in cross section and isprojvided withnal downwardly extending 'portion by means of which" it 'is securedto asupporting member25; As here showmthe supporting member 'oomp'r-ises' an upper part 26 shaped toffit within'the blade 23 and having its forward portiontapered toward the 'cutting edge-of the bladey-jThefblade maytbe secured to the s supporting member in any suitablemanner,

, into thesupporting member" The fsuppo rta as by 'lneansgof a thumb, screw 28 extending throughthel'ower' portion? of the blade and ing "member is preferably Vadjustablymounted'o'n'the housing so that it maybe adjusted.

-with; relation to theguide 21 to accommo:

dateitto-grainsof diflerent sizes; To this end the l lower portion of the supporting member is fslotted 'as shown at. 29 and is 32 formidvin the peripheral all 4; of the secured to the housing by means of, a 'screw 30. ,J The supporting member is so shaped as to form vapassageway 3 1 whichextends from the cutti ng .\edge t the blade, to an; opening housinggJInoperation anear is placed. in; the guidewayj 21 with the worm run down-f e d' flis the fd rawn w l'y vfiver. he

blade 23, which will remove the two rows of grains which have been aficted by the worm run but will remove little if any of the adjacent' grain rows, The cuttings removed 1 c from the ear drop'through the passageway 9 31 in the supporting member, through the opening in the wall of the housing and are disch-argedffroni zthe housing through the I outlet'in the "bottom thereof;

' In Figs-:1 I have shown an installation embodyinga series-ozt, trimmers: As there shown, the supporting structure or table 3 is of liconsiderable length and has mounted thereon a series of trimmers, the housings of which are sh'own-atfl'; these trimmers 'be-, ing spaced apart, f ar enough to-permit of .their convenientoperations-i A single-shaft 9 I extends through the housings of all the. trim. mers and carries allofthe rotatable cutters?- Consequently it is unnecessary to,pr.ovi'de 'ad- 5-3. diti'onal bearings .for -the shaftveioept atjthe 1 driving ,end thereof," andjithe host of manw. I c facture, installation and'opera-tion are mate-f. V

riallyr reduced Extending "lalong the rear side'of the table is a conveyor 33by meansiof 9Q which; the husked'ears are conveyed vtoward 'i I the cutting, machine" and the inspectorsstand :71 along-the rearside of the conveyorto'fexamine I the '(ears and'remove.- the defective ones; the I .1

defective' ears, or those. requiring, trimming- 2 being tossed into bin sf341supportedpnfa strucr tureor table 311- Thesebins' are arranged-,be tween theirearportionsof adjacent trimmers r so that th'eoperator standing.in frontiofithe; Q;

trimmer can eas ly I reach the ears the bin. r 1

the details thereof as various .7 modifications-. 1

may occurto a'p'erson skilled ini the a'rt in.

- Having now fullyjdescribedimy invention, Q what I claim as new and desire tosecure'by Letters Patent,.is f 1..In aneartrimmingj and an endvwall andhavingflan outletiin the 1," lower portion thereof," said peripheral having an openingleadingttosaid,outlet,..salid endrwall having Ibearin'gQand .anleanreceivr, 2

ing "opening; .aflshaft ourmiedfinsa u; hear- 7 ing, acuttermounted on said shaftto'rotate ad acent to. saidearl'receivingopening; and. a] a 1 device mounted Q on .said. irhousi flh in means to remove seleoted rows otgrains from 1.2 a

an ear of coinfandihavingial diseharge; passfsagewayrfor the removecl! grains communicate. z

ingfwith the v openinglin of saidqhousingf, I

the peripheralj'wall f.

device .rforjgr J15 corn, a housing compr aperiphemll waugw In an mm n deviseigr llw corn comprising a housing and acutter mounted w thm said'houslng, said housing it having an opening to permit an ear of corn to f be brought intoj'contact'with said cutter and having a dischargeopening, a grain row re-j moving device mounted ,on-said housing and comprising a guide to support an ear'of corn for lengthwlse movement, a cutter shaped to remove predeterminedrows of grain when and a passageway leading from said cutter lengthwise movement is imparted to said ear,

, and communicating with the discharge opening of said housing.

3.'In:.an ear trimming device for green com, a housing comprising a peripheral Wall and an end wall, a cutter mounted Within saidhousing, said end wall having an openthrough which an ear of corn may be moved into engagement with said cutter and said, peripheral wall having an opening therethrough, a guide mounted on. said hous- Ling to support an ear of corn for lengthwise movement and having an opening in the bot-' tom thereof, a bladehaving a curved portion extending throughi the opening in said guide, and a supporting member for said blade secured tosaid housing and having a passageway leading-from said blade to said opening in the peripheral Wall of saidjhous-o 4. In an ear trimming device for green tom, a housing comprising a peripheral wall and an end wall," a cutter mounted within said housing, said end wall having an openingthrough which anfear of corn may be 'moved into engagement with said cutter and said peripheral wallhaving an opening therethrough, aguidemounted on said housing ,to" support anqear of corn forlengthwise movement and having an opening'in the bot- 1 ,tom thereof, a blade havinga curved portion extending through the openingin said guide,

a supporting member for said blade securedv to said housing and having a passageway leading fromsaid blade to said opening in the peripheral wallof said housing, and

f means for adjustably mounting said support- 1 ing member with relation to said guide,

' y Y o i I o I In amechan sm of the character described, a supporting structure, a" series of whereby said blade maybe caused to extend different distances above said guide.

'tion curved upwardly about a relativel vlengthwise movement and a cutter supported la'oent to and. projecting above the bottransverse upper portion to extend between separated rows of grain and remove the TOW, or rows. of grain between said "separated itomfof said guide, said cutterhaving a rows, and means for securing said cutter in o adjusted positions with relation to said guide' i I '7'. Ina corn trimming device for green corn, a guide to support an ear of corn for endwise movement and having an opening througl the bottom thereof, a blade extend-' ,ing through said opening and having a pore short radius and so arranged with relation to the bottom of said guide that 'it will remove selected grain rows when an ear of corn is moved lengthwise of said guide. I 8. In an ear trimming device for green corn, a guide 'to support anear of corn for lengthwise movement and having an opening f rows when anear of corn is moved lengthwise of said guide.

In an "ear trimming device for green member extending through said opening, a blade rigidly secured to said supporting member and having a portion curved upwardly about a relatively short radius and sooarranged with relation to the bottom of said guide that it will remove selected grain rows when an ear of corn is moved lengthwise of said guide,,said'sup-porting member being 1 shaped to form a passageway through which the, removed grains may be discharged.

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature hereto. -o EARL W, MORTER.

housings mounted on said structure and spaced one from the other, a shaft journaled in the several housings, cutters mounted on sa d shaft Within the respect ve housings,

" means to drive said shaft, and binssupported "by said structure betweenthe respective housf ings, each of saidbins having the upper 7 portion of that wall thereofadjaeent to said shaft bent about a longitudinal axis and ex tending" about 'said shaftto "form aiguaird I therefor.

6. In an ear trimmingdevice for green corn, a guide tosupport an ear of corn for corn,a guide tosupport an ear of corn for lengthwise movement and having an open-' ing throughthe bottomthereof, a support- 

